The Wishing Well

  “What is it, child!” Tommit barked in annoyance. I was sure it would have sent anyone else cowering into a corner—but not Evver. Instead she stood stronger and taller than I thought possible of the tiny fairy.

  “Your highness, Aurora is due for her gown fitting.”

  My lungs were screaming, but my throat had closed off my air supply. “Sorry sire, but if she missing the fitting, then her wedding gown won’t be ready in time for the big day.” Her words filtered in.

  “Fine.” Tommit took one last glance in my direction before heading back out to the balcony to see if there were more cheers to be had. Evver rushed in and grabbed my hand, pulling me through the open door. I still wasn’t sure what had just happened. Evver had saved me, at least for today, from the inevitable. She had faced a lion, treating it like a spoiled kitten instead. My body was still in shock, so Evver had the ability to drag me easily through the hallways. Instead of her taking me to my new room, she took me to her old room.

  The storage closet.

  She pushed me quickly inside and shut the door behind her. This room was oddly comforting to me. After all, it was the place I had first met Evver.

  “Did he hurt you?” Her voice was strained and hard. A loud hysterical laugh escaped my lips without my permission. I struggled to get control of my erratic emotions, biting my lip to stop any other outbursts I would be sorry that escaped. I paused for a moment before speaking, hoping my voice would be calm and controlled. I tried to remember I was speaking to a child. It was true that most of the time she seemed more like an adult than a child; Evver had survived more than most had in their entire life.

  “He didn’t hurt me Evver. I’m fine. I promise.”

  Her body relaxed a little. She still looked at me with suspicion.

  “Please come here.” I opened my arms to her inviting her in. She reluctantly settled in. I knew she was still upset, but I could never blame her for feeling like that.

  She sat silently for a while.

  Chapter 15

  Cassius paced nervously.

  He knew he was early. Anxious and afraid both described his feelings, as he tried to focus. Seeing Aurora on the balcony that day had made it all the more real to him. Before his mind had known Aurora’s soon-to-be fate. His heart had an inkling of an idea, but when he saw Tommit put his hands and lips on Aurora…It nearly destroyed him. The fury he felt threatened to consume him. Cassius’ skin burned with rage. He wanted to charge the castle and rip Aurora from Tommit’s slippery grasp.

  The moon was starting to descend.

  Cassius prepared himself for the arrival of the others. He had to show a strong front for everyone else. If he faltered at all, showed any weakness, then they would surely second-guess themselves. They would wonder if they were strong enough to defeat Tommit. He couldn’t allow that to happen.

  There were sounds of someone approaching. He froze. If the Destroyers, or Cronan, found him, then all would be lost.

  Cassius crouched down, listening to whether it was friend or foe. He heard a familiar bird call. It had become their call, alerting others there were friends near. Cassius thought of it after talking to Evver. He recalled the time when they had watched the birds learning to take flight. So now the Rebels used the call of the Macan. It was a mix between a Macaw and a Raven; it was a large parrot that had a black feathered belly and rainbow wings and back. Their heads each had a tuft of black feathers just above their eyes. They had always been his father’s favorite bird. It was his way of paying tribute to him.

  Cassius prepared to welcome friends.

  He was shocked to see his brother, Abow, walking up with Bacra, one of the other giants. He hadn’t seen him in a Rime’s time, maybe even longer. When Abow saw him, he rushed to him. Then he picked him up and put him in a large bear hug.

  “Wow, buddy! You’re crushing me.” He said, gasping for breath.

  “Sorry.” Abow dropped him to the ground. He ducked his head sheepishly. Abow was constantly forgetting how strong he was. Cassius maybe the oldest brother, but Abow dwarfed him in size and strength.

  “What are you doing here?” Cassius tried to be mad, but looking at his big smiling face made it hard. “Where’s Ember?”

  “Did I hear my name?” Ember, who was the spitting image of Evver flew around Bacra, landing next to Abow. She had long, out-of-control, red curly hair which flew in every direction. Her shining, bright jade green eyes always danced with mischief. Her wings fluttered to a stop in front of her scowling big brother. For a moment Cassius panicked, seeing his little sister and brother out in the open like this.

  “EMBER!” He growled.

  “Come on, Cas. I couldn’t miss out on all of the fun. Could I?”

  “FUN? Ember, you make me crazy! None of this is fun!” he reached out, pulling her into a hug. He held her tight. She tried wiggling out of the embrace.

  “Cas!” She whined and he laughed. He released her; in some ways it was a relief to see her. At least now he knew she and Abow were safe. It had been so dangerous, lately, he didn’t even dare contact them. He was certain that he would be followed and he would lead the Destroyers to their hiding place.

  *

  “How’s Evver?” She asked, regaining her focus. Ember studied his face. She could always tell when he was leaving things out to protect them. Today she wasn’t going to let him get away with it.

  “Evver’s fine. She’s worried, but she’s doing well.”

  Ember studied him for a minute. It was apparent he was telling the truth, but she could see that he was leaving a huge hole in his answer. The reason they were forming here tonight.

  “And?”

  “And what, Ember?” he asked irritated. He hated it when she looked at him that way. Ember could have beaten the Cheshire cat in a grinning match.

  “Come on Cas. You’re missing something big…Aurora?”

  He flushed. This was all new to him. That included being teased by his little sister about a girl. It left him flustered.

  “Aurora?” He asked, already knowing the answer. Ember had always been filled with questions. She would ask questions from daybreak until twilight. Then she would start over the next day. It drove him crazy, but he humored her because she was his little sister. He loved her.

  “Tell me, Cas. What’s she like?”

  What was Aurora like? Where would he even begin? She was beautiful, smart, loving, kind…there was so much to her, and he had barely scratched the surface of who Aurora was. So Cassius took the easy route.

  “You will meet her soon enough. Then you can tell me what you think,” he said with a wink. She started to argue with him, but was stopped short by the arrival of the others. They gathered around the same large toadstool. The attitudes around the circle were mixed. Cassius was happy to see they were doubled in numbers from their first meeting.

  There were a lot of newcomers gathered with the others. It gave Cassius hope that they may actually be able to pull this off. If enough of them stood up to Tommit, then they had a chance of bringing Tommit down and saving Aurora.

  Noticeably missing were Trix and Tiden. He wondered if they were safe, if they had made it to Fara yet. Unease filled his heart, thinking of the many fates which could befall his brave friends.

  “Thank you all for coming. I want to welcome all of our new friends gathered here tonight. We will start with updates around the circle, and then we will discuss what our next step will be from there. Bontox, would you like to go first?”

  The apprehensive troll stood.

  He was shorter than most trolls, standing at only six feet. He was the product of a mixed family as well. Dark blonde hair covered his hands and parts of his smooth face. His nose was more human than troll, but his ears made up for it. They were larger than most, and took up most of the space of his head. Bontox normally had a permanent scowl on his face, but he was a tender-hearted guy in reality.

  “I…um…I can report they have found one of the Paras.”

&nbs
p; Gasps trickled around the circle. He held out his hands, trying to take the shock away from his words, “Good news is, there is still no headway on the well. Tommit has increased the numbers of trolls out searching for it. Between the Destroyers and the extra trolls, they will have the kingdom scoured by the day of the wedding.”

  Low murmuring could be heard from the others discussing this turn of events. They were all concerned, rightfully so.

  “Thank you, Bontox. We can all agree that this is disturbing. Legend has it that the Para’s were magically protected. The simple fact they have already found one is not a good sign of things to come. Kabex, would you like to go next?”

  Kabex climbed on top of the toadstool so the others could get a good look at him. He was one of the original dwarves, and it appeared he had brought about six others with him tonight. Kabex stood just over two feet tall, and had bright red cheeks and a prominent round belly, which shook when he laughed and set him apart from the others. White blond curls, littering his head, were hidden by his stocking cap, which gave him a childlike appearance even though he was close to one hundred years old.

  “I can say the remaining dwarves are willing to do what it takes to rid Paradan of Tommit. Everyone I have spoken with is out there now, searching out more to stand against him. We are close to five hundred strong in just three days. I am sure the numbers will just grow from here. We all have friends or family who have died or gone missing. None of us are willing to let this pass unpunished.” Kabex climbed back down to his waiting tree stump. His somber words had quieted the crowd. They all had lost loved ones, as well.

  The mood had changed amongst the rebels.

  Anger had been something they had all felt since Tommit had started his cleansing of Paradan. Now, it was something that fed them all, they would not stop this until he was ripped from the throne. There wasn’t a single soul seated in the quiet darkness who hadn’t suffered loss or pain at the hand of King Tommit. They had all experienced heartache at Tommit’s, Drayben’s, or their Destroyers hands.

  Cassius stood. He waited a moment before speaking, hoping his words would relay the magnitude of his feelings. Looking out at the firefly-lit circle, he saw friends, family, and his own brother and sister. The thought of them joining the fight was hard for him to swallow.

  In reality, they had all joined this fight the moment their father had been killed.

  “My heart is heavy, tonight. We all are aware of the fight we have in store for us. Even though failure is not an option, it is a terrifying—possibility. We must all stand together and push fear out of our hearts and minds. We must not sleep until we have found the wishing well. It will save Paradan, Aurora, and all of us. Most may have believed it was only a legend, but we could all learn from our ancestors. The mistakes they made were a warning to us. If we fail to recognize this, then we are to blame. I can’t reiterate just how important it is to build our numbers. Kabex, I am pleased to hear your numbers are so high already. That is promising. We are going to need as many as we can possibly gather, if we are to fight against the Destroyers and Cronan. We are all painfully aware how important this is. Failure can’t be even a fleeting thought for any of us. Our lives, our families, and our children’s futures depend on what we do in these next few weeks. If we fail…” Cassius paused, overcome with emotion. “If we fail, then we will have no future.”

  Most were nodding in thoughtful agreement. Cassius’s head dropped in exhaustion.

  “Remember, there may be no cavalry coming to our rescue. We don’t know if Tiden and Trix made it to Fara, and if they did there is no way to tell if they found any friends there. Tommit could have help from other kingdoms. None of us even know where Tommit came from. He could have been a plant from another kingdom from the beginning. We just don’t know. Unfortunately—there is no known heir to King Windom. I wish there was. That would make this process so much easier for all the people of Paradan. I am grateful for the bravery and strength of each one of you. We will return in two moons’ time. I pray for all of our safety until then. God bless and god speed, my friends.”

  Cassius stepped back and waited for the crowd to disperse. He was so tired. Thinking of it, he couldn’t really remember the last time he slept restfully.

  Abow and Ember made their way forward.

  *

  Ember’s eyes were tight and full of concern for her brother. She had been filled in on how bad things were, but like Evver, she believed they were just overstating things to keep her in hiding. She could see the fear in Cassius’ eyes. There had been rumors; but she tended to think most people liked to over-exaggerate. Ember was worried about him. His normally bright and clear icy-blue eyes were cloudy and dark. Cassius always had been the strong one in the family. As big brothers went, he was the best. He stood up to anyone who would dare look cross-eyed at any of them. Cas was loving and fun, always willing to play anything their hearts were set on.

  It was true he was the only human in their mixed family, but it never bothered any of them.

  Abow was two steps ahead of her. She watched him and Cassius. They had always had a way of speaking without saying a single word out loud. All it took was a simple glance between them. It used to drive Ember crazy. She remembered when they were younger and they would show off this “talent.”

  Evver or Ember would tell one of them a word, a phrase or even a number. Then both Cassius and Abow would sit on their hands; it was extremely comical to see a giant try to sit on their hands. The other would then guess correctly every time.

  Ember could see one of these “conversations” was taking place now, between her two brothers. How she wished they would entrust her with the information they were sharing. Ember knew they were constantly trying to protect her. Especially after Evver was captured and her wings were clipped. Knowing how his precious little sister would never fly again had nearly destroyed Cassius. When he realized he was too late, and her wings had already been clipped by Tommit’s Destroyers, he vowed it would never happen to Ember.

  So, now he kept secrets from those he loved and he hid his pain from Ember and everyone else.

  She hated it.

  Abow finally spoke. “We got this.”

  Abow slapped him on the back. The force of it sent Cassius flying into the soggy ground. Abow laughed heartily. Nevit flew over and landed on Abow’s shoulder. Nevit was Ember’s best friend. She was the opposite of Ember. Midnight black hair that was short cropped and super curly. It was shaped like Rotini and sprung out in every direction from her tiny head. Nevit’s skin was the color of burnt caramel. Ember and Nevit had been inseparable since they met at only two years old. It didn’t surprise Cassius to see her next to Ember.

  Nevit was laughing, as was Ember.

  *

  Cassius had to laugh in spite of himself. He was covered from head to toe in thick black mud and he looked the most inhuman he had ever had been.

  He laughed until the laughter turned to tears.

  Chapter 16

  Evver had been gone for almost an hour.

  It was the longest she had left me alone in days. She was gathering things she thought I would need for the coming week. It was full of visits with who knows who and talking to who cares about who.

  I was so tired of it all.

  It was as if my life was a movie playing on fast forward. Every day that passed felt like less than an hour in time. My wedding day was coming sooner than I was prepared for. I would never be prepared for it. I was coming to grips with my new reality. If it meant saving those I loved, than wasn’t any sacrifice worth the cost?

  I was basically locked in my room most of the time.

  The only time I was allowed out was for “appointments” Drayben and Lote made for me, as well as the occasional dinner with Tommit. Any time I spent with him I felt like I was losing myself. Darkness was beginning to overcome my soul.

  I was beginning to feel so alone.

  There was nobody I dared confide in.

  Of
course there was Evver, but I couldn’t add to her already weighty burden. It wouldn’t be fair to her. I could see pain was slowly starting to eat away at her spirit already.

  Everything I loved about her was starting to slip away from the little girl I loved so much. I wondered about my family in the real world. Had they given up the search already? Had there been a funeral?

  My heart ached to think of the pain my family had experienced. I was certain my tormentors had probably celebrated my disappearance. I wondered if they had already found a new target. Was somebody else suffering because of my disappearance down the well? Why did life have to be so unfair? I had heard bad things happened to good people. These words rang truer now than ever before. During my time in Paradan, I had grown to love those I had gotten to know.

  Evver, then there was sweet Kazor, Simit, Reber, and Cassius. I could name many others, but there were also others I hated with a deep passion. Drayben, Cronan, the Destroyers, and Tommit I never knew such feelings of hatred were possible within my heart. A soft knock at my door sounded. I straightened my dress and then made my way toward the door. Prepping myself for anyone behind the thick door, I took a deep breath before opening.

  “Lote?”

  She smiled widely. “Hello dear. May I come in?”

  I opened the door wider, allowing her to come in. She still made me feel uneasy. I left the door open an inch. For some reason, it made me feel safer. She walked over to my large window that looked over the kingdom and settled there. Her eyes gleamed when she looked at the view. I knew it was a beautiful sight.

  I had never been to her room, so I was unsure if she had any view at all.

  “Beautiful.” She remarked. Lote meant it as a compliment, but there was ice in her tone.

  “Yes, it is. Paradan is lovely.”

  She continued to stare out at the bustling kingdom. I wondered what it looked like before Tommit’s hand touched it. I would love to look out over the same view and see giants, fairies, dwarves, and, yes, even trolls, wandering around the cobblestone walkways. The leaves were starting to change. It was my favorite time of year. I was certain there weren’t going to be any jack-o-lanterns or trick or treating this year.